Hailed as one of the world’s best players, the Irish hooker wants to end his remarkable season with victory in Sydney
an Sheehan freely admits that his Superman dive for the British & Irish Lions’ first try in Melbourne last week was not out of the playbook. It was an instinctive finish to avoid getting “melted”, putting the Lions on the board in Melbourne and taking the hooker’s remarkable season tally to 17 in 19 games.
It has been eclipsed by the furore over Jac Morgan’s late clearout, but there is debate over whether Sheehan’s try was legal. He acknowledges the controversy but sees no problem with his crucial score all the while admitting some sympathy with Wallaby defenders.
The debate centres on the lawbook’s insistence that players cannot jump to avoid a tackle. After he was rebuffed by Australia with a tap and go not long before, Sheehan was given another chance in the 15th minute and dived over his opposite number, Dave Porecki. As he was in the act of scoring, the referee, Andrea Piardi, awarded the try.
A World Rugby clarification issued in 2022 states that: “A ball carrier may dive with the ball in order to score a try, and we all agree that should be allowed. From an equity perspective, if they do so, a defender may attempt to make a safe and legal tackle on that player.”
